Conventional alarms such as alarm clocks, cell phones, digital watches are only useful when set to a certain time specification. However, what if sleep overcomes a person who has neglected to set the traditional wake up device? Furthermore, what if sleep overwhelms one who is acting in a situation where sleep is inappropriate? There are many different scenarios in society where drowsiness and sleep are a hazard. For example, a cross-country, long haul truck driver would jeopardize his own life as well as the life of others if he succumbs to sleep. For the driver to anticipate the exact moment when sleep will occur is impossible. Therefore, to predict sleep and be prepared by setting an alarm is not feasible. For the safety of the driver and others on the road, the truck driver must be awake and alert. Another example is a pilot on an international flight. Long hours and multiple connecting flights during international travel can increase drowsiness and fatigue for the pilot. Many lives depend on his/her awareness to communicate and his/her ability to stay focused and alert. Drowsiness and sleep during his/her watch could lead to an accident or loss of life. In addition, a night shift worker on his/her way home in the early hours of morning after a 12 hour shift may be challenged with staying awake on the drive home. Driving home may be a monotonous task after the stress of a night's work, and the shift worker can become drowsy. If the worker falls asleep, this can lead to unsafe driving and the commute home could become deadly.
Drowsiness and lack of awareness can have a critical impact in the case of many professions: military, nursing, transportation, education, security and criminal justice, as well as, the general population who may engage in an activity that will put the person or others in harm's way if sleep occurs while driving or operating a vehicle of another nature such as a train, a plane, or a watercraft. When a mechanism can detect physical manifestations of sleep and respond to that change, unwanted sleep can be avoided.